being a voice inside the corporate boardroom. that is view point. stay >> i'm jennifer granholm. tonight, inside the war room, an historic moment for the obama presidency. >> i think same sex couples should be able to get married. >> well, there's something you don't see every day, president obama stuns the political world and comes out in favor of gay marriage. the right's reaction, predictable. mitt romney's reaction. >> i believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman. >> attributable. the polls, the politics, and the personal. for the next hour we'll surround this landmark event inside the war room.

>> one small step in the evolution of the president but one giant leap for this country. here president obama is describing how he came to his risky but in my opinion very courageous opinion to support gay marriage. >> when i think about members of my own staff who are incredibly committed and monogamous same sex relationships who are raising kids together, when i think about those soldiers or airmen or marines out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained even now that don't ask, don't tell is gone because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at certain point i've just concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that i

think same-sex couples should be able to get married. >> there are really times when the mere words of a true leader can help change the course of history. reagan said mr. gorbachev tear down this wall. kennedy asked not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country. remember this day, it is a new era. the president of the united states publicly supported the ability to marry the person of our choosing, equality, and personal freedom wrapped in red, white and blue. isn't that magnificent freedom what true libertarians are clamoring for, who don't want the government to tell you to strap on seatbeltsar wear motorcycle helmets. you should be filmed that the

government will not be telling you what to do in matters of the heart. you should be grinning from ear to ear. what an opportunity to support two parent families, to help loving couples stay together, right? and by the way, lots of conservatives agree, after all dick cheney, laura bush, cindy mccain, ted olsen former r.n.c. chairman melman, all these other republicans all support people's freedom to marry the person they love, regardless of gender. so today president obama joined those republicans. he stepped off the squishy wishy washy middle ground that so many political figures occupy on divisive tough issues and our president chose to occupy quality, freedom no matter the cost, and have no doubt, there will be cost.

this will cost the president votes. this may lose him a swing state or two. it's going to get people angry. it's going to further convince the fringes of our society that he's a muslim, a socialist a com my, kenyan hell bent on stealing candy from our beaks and they will protest and they will blog and they will rally their base behind this issue because they have nothing else to run on, just a boogie man to hunt down. make no mistake. the president's courage will cost him and that's why it's courageous. real courage is to stand up for what you know is right regardless of the political cost, and yet it does bear asking, would mitt romney ever do anything like this? whatever the issue would mitt romney ever act with courage and integrity? would he regardless of the

political consequences, without fear of electoral impact take the moment and mantel of being a leader to move us in the direction of justice? you know the answer to that. it's an obvious and resounding no, and that is just another reason why mitt romney cannot be our president. it's also why we can't let our president stand alone. he stood up for justice so we need to stand up for him and maybe, just maybe, one day we won't be talking about gay marriage or same-sex marriage or heterosexual marriage. maybe we'll just call it marriage. there are few people more associated with the issue of gay marriage than california lt. governor. he gained national recognition for sticking his neck out to

legalizing same-sex marriage way back in 2004 when he was mayor of san francisco. earlier today, i spoke to the lt. governor about his reaction to the president's announcement. >> welcome to the war room. >> i never thought i'd see this. honestly, i'm surprised to see this in my lifetime. i mean that, remember the issue of interracial marriage, state supreme court decisions ultimately to loving versus the state of virginia. here we are with less than a decade, a sitting president first in history to actually utter the words i support same-sex marriage, a point of extraordinary courage and historic precedent. i couldn't be more proud as a democratic, an american and hundreds of thousands if not millions of people who today feel better about their lives and the lives of their loved ones because of this penalty. >> incredible courage. you took this step in 2004.

have you gotten advice, admonitions for those surrounding the president now. >> you got it. the flip side of this is very real and that's why this is so courageous. the president could have worked this out, gone through the next few weeks of news cycles because of vice president biden's comments last week on meet the press but ultimately this risk is going to be manifested not in public opinion polls certainly not in california and big blue states, but in those swing states and within the counties, within the various precinctses within those counties in those swing states. >> around kitchen tables. >> these guys target the bad guys. this is huge. one should not underestimate the huge risk. some have maintained this is not a big risk but i think it's a huge risk for the president. >> you got a lot of flak.

it was eight years ago. you were ahead of the curve. >> let me tell you, eight years ago, democrats still had a hard time with domestic partnerships. >> which gets to the point about how quickly the evolution has happened, the cultural evolution that has occurred. i've never seen a movement so quickly end up where it is. >> because people put a human face on the issue. you can discuss the issue of jimmation in the abstract, have legal briefs, but in the end of the day, it's about your brother, sister, aunt, uncle doctor, nurse, firefighter or fighter pilot. >> technology has enabled a lot of this conversation to happen but even the media from hollywood, modern family, other places where it's becoming part of the mainstream, and it seems like the republican party at least now is really trailing the country in terms of where the movement of opinion is happening. >> there's no doubt.

i mean, president obama always spoke to that arc of history that dr. king spoke about always bend toward justice. clearly the future is very bright for the lbgt community. what happened in virginia, they didn't just ban same-sex marriage, also domestic partnerships, they brought us back 20-25 years. >> we've got a huge number of states that have actually been on that side of history. what the president said today does not have legal consequences. >> no, the president's not chief justice of the supreme court or in this case, justice kennedy who ultimately may be the arbiter of the decision, but it was important and significant. i think first of all he's raised the bar for the democratic party and now we actually have to meet him. we were debating whether or not this should be part of the party platform for the convention. >> it will be now. >> now it has to be. we have to back our president.

there are a lot of departments still on the fence and in those swing states that are in the fence. this will give them a little bit of courage. here's the good thing. when they are able to say what they believe. you don't have to agree with a politician all the time, but people want to know where they stand. people will support you, even if they disagree with you on this. what they don't like is he equivocation. they don't like when someone is on both sides of every issue. >> romney. >> that was the problem for the president, wasn't it? it was becoming more and more like the person he was running against who didn't have the conviction, now the president does on this. that's a stark contrast to mitt romney. >> he gains more points being clear and strong than he would in, you know, straddling for sure at least with independents or those he might be concerned with persuading. >> 70% of independents are in favor of gay marriage.

>> not insignificant. i'm sure they played all those things out. let's not be naive there and there was wisdom in terms of timing. they put themselves in a box whether designed or not designed. the president was in a tough position. he did the right thick. he's going to be vindicated in history. all i know is it's incumbent upon democrats that have urged him to do this for years to step in and up in a big way and get out there and step up for a president who put his entire political career on the line to do the right thing. you know what? at the end of the day love him or hate him that's a point of courage and that's the kind of people we should admire and fight for. >> you can watch gavin newsome right here. for another perspective on the president's bold move on gay marriage, we're going to turn to

former republican congressman who supports a constitutional amendment that would limit marriage to one man and one woman. welcome back inside the war room. >> hey jennifer, it's great to be with you and you and gavin certainly custody a lot of territory in your interview there. >> we want to hear from your side of the aisle. don't you think you're on the wrong side of history? >> no, i don't think so, jen. as you take a look at this, it won't surprise you that i have a very different take not only of the substance of the decision, but also the political environment. let's begin on a point of consensus. this is going to cost president obama in some swing states. if you check may resume or perhaps the viewers haven't for fill disclosure, i should point out i'm from north carolina. i have more than a casual interest in what was going on yesterday, and a record turnout in a primary in may, north carolina voters stood up for the

concept of traditional marriage. it's not unique to north carolina. 41 of the states have statutes or limitations on the whole notion of moving marriage beyond the traditional concept of one man and one woman. the state you governed for eight years, michigan is among them. >> yep. >> this is going to be a very difficult thing for the president. i think certainly you ever every right to see it's a courageous move. when you take a look at what the president basically said today that he permanently had evolved to a position where he believed in same sex unions and gay marriage, he's leaving it up to the states. so at the end of the day, you have a type of eequivocation that i think may actually create some more political problems for the president instead of solving them. >> well, i don't think that anybody thinks it's realistic that there's going to be a national constitutional

amendment, even though i know you support one. do you think it sounds like in your tone that you think this this will be an issue all the way to the election. >> i'm not so sure it will be an issue all the way to the election. as you and i know, there are many issues that come together. the president has made a statement today in may a long way between now and the first tuesday following the first monday in november, or election day. obviously, the economy will predominate the news but i do believe for both pro and pro traditional marriage and pro gay union people it will intensify the turnout. certainly that was the case in north carolina yesterday but in the final analysis, this election is going to be decided about the state of the economy. >> i think that you're right the economy's going to be big but for micro targeting purposes i'm sure your side of the aisle will try to get out voters

because of the message that surrounds this. right? that's going to be a strategy. >> let's understand this. there's nothing devious. i heard earlier that the thought that you and gavin had about the bad guys look, good people candace agree. >> for sure. >> to the extent that political science is an oxymoron, here's the practical effect. identify your voters, get them to the polls in greater number than your opponents. i'm sure the democratic party will be doing it's micro targeting in a variety of ways. it's going to be one whale of a campaign. >> i'm going to play back a sound byte from you. you've gone down the rick santorum road a little bit in your history of using animals and marriage to make your point. >> terrible thing. i was wondering if you were going to dredge this stuff up. >> i've got to do it. >> go ahead. >> take a look to the clip and you can respond to it on the backside. >> sure. >> i just, that would mean if

you really had a section for your horse i guess you could bury your horse, it's just the wrong way to go and the only way to protect the institution of marriage is with that federal marriage amendment. >> all right j.d., try to redeem yourself from that. >> here's the bottom line. i got to tip the cap to the mccain people for getting that out there in our 2010 senate primary and for all the chattering classes to pick it up. i was trying, ronald reagan had a quote where he said i don't mind what people do in the privacy of their own homes, just keep it off the streets because it might scare the horses. i was trying to be reaganesque but it backfired. >> you don't believe that same-sex marriage is going to equate to some sort of beastalty, just to be clear. >> what i believe is important is to talk about personhood, i'll be the first to acknowledge, j.d. in my name

stands for john david not juris doctorate. i'm newt lawyer. i don't play one on t.v. we know that language is very important. >> i agree with you. language is really important and is the reason why what the president said today is very important. those are words but broadens the playing field. j.d., thank you for coming on. you've got a great spirit about you. even though we disagree about almost everything, i appreciate you coming on. >> i'm always willing to try to talk some common sense to you. >> likewise. >> how will the president's announcement play in the swing states? we'll tell you what the numbers say and that that could mean come november. plus, how much does hollywood love today's announcement? we'll look at that. busy show in the car room. we want you to be involved. go to facebook twitter, join in on the conversation. this is the war room.

it's only on current t.v. we will be right back.

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♪ all right. so for a closer look at how president obama's announcement could influence voters in the fall we'll turn to two all-starsteres john whaley and mark mellman. john let's take a look at a couple of swing states. >> sure. >> in new hampshire and colorado the majority support gay marriage, in virginia florida, pennsylvania, and ohio the majority oppose it. what is the calculation for the president? >> i think the question is you

know do the voters who are -- feel very intensely about this are they going to come out in bigger numbers because of this? and i think on that it is a wash. >> really? >> on the social conservatives, they already feel very strongly opposed to obama, and then you have younger liberals who this gives an opportunity to get more excited and invigorate that base so i think -- >> swing states could go either way depending on how the candidates on both sides play it. >> right. mark mellman you do this polling all across the country too. did the president make a political mistake? >> honestly only history is going to tell us that but i think the easy answer is to say, yeah, it is going to cost him votes, because as you said in a lot of these swing states we have a majority opposed to gay marriage, but three are three or

four factors that need to be considered. one, character usually trumps issues. and second people's attitudes on this issue are involving faster and changing faster than on almost any issue than we have seen in polling. so whatever the numbers say now, by the time we get to november those views may really be different than they are today, and again, not something we're really going to know. and then the final point, as john was saying turnout here. the fact is there will be people who will be mobilized on both sides of this issue, and there may be a few more on the democratic side than the republican side. >> and let me ask you, john i'll get specific about this. in virginia it breaks down along age lines. 58% of the voters in virginia under 30 support gay marriage

27% over 65 support gay marriage. can you extrapolate virginia across the board -- >> right. and we see that across the country in every state, the age gap is pretty tremendous. and african-americans also will be an important thing. in california pop 8 7 in 10 voted for prop 8. >> could this give him the level of youth turnout that he had in 2008? >> i think it will be a little tough given the effect of the economy on young people but this will help. >> you agree mark? >> we have this issue which as you say plays strongly to young people. they tend to be pro gay marriage and it tends to be important to them. look at what is happening in the united states senate today. loan payments are able to

double, the interest rates are about to double. republicans are in favorite of letting that double democrats are against it. that is going to make college students very angry, and make their parents very angry. so there's a whole bunch of issues right now focused on younger vote fors that are motivating them in a way they haven't been motivated. >> so it's possible on both of those issues you could see an increase. 57% of independents are in favor of gay marriage. are you seeing that across the board? >> those independents vary from state to state. where they tend to be better educated and younger, yes. when they tend to be older, less well educated, we see a different kind of pattern. it breaks more around age and education than around independence per se. >> let me ask you about african

american base and how this affects that among african-americans 49% oppose gay marriage, and that's down significantly from 2004 67% in 2004 opposed it. but could it still hurt him with the turnout in the african american base, john? >> one thing we did in our poll in march was ask if a candidate supported gay marriage or opposed gay marriage would you be more likely to support that candidate? and african-americans were the most likely to say it wouldn't make any difference compared to white voters more than independent. and i think in part because when the ballot measure is put in front of them they are usually opposed to gay marriage but compared to all of the other issues, i don't see it hurting much. >> mark you agree with that? >> this president is historic for the country, but certainly

for the african american community, his recollection is going to be a critical cause to the african american community. there is no way they will fail to turn out supporting him for a second term. >> you guys are just what the doctor ordered for political junkies, thank you so much for joining us on this important day with this important topic. that's john whaley of hart research, and mark mellman, president of the mellman group who joins us from dc. up next how are lgbt advocacy groups responding to the anananananananananananananananananananananananananan >>the dominoes are starting to fall. (vo) former two term governor, jennifer granholm, is politically direct on current tv >> what should women be doing? >> electing women to office.

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you're back inside "the war room." i'm jennifer grandholm. gay marriage is an issue our next guest has devoted and dedicated himself too. sean eldridge may only be 25 but he is a veteran of progressive politics and marriage equality. in 2007 he began working for the obama campaign at the chicago headquarters and last year he quit to support his passion full-time. sean and his fiance were featured on the may 2011 cover of the advocates 40 under 40 issue, and you may have seen them featured in the "new york times" this past weekend.

welcome inside "the war room," sean. >> thank you so much for having me. >> are you grinning? it is a great day? >> it's a huge today. today is an enormous step forward for our movement but also an enormous step forward for the country. our president is not just a political leader the commander in chief, but a moral and cultural leader so when he speaks out on an issue like this the country listens. for millions of other americans across the country who are thinking through this issue, looking at their gay friends and neighbors and coworkers, the president's leadership matters, and i think it will make other people more comfortable in coming out in support of the freedom to marry. >> you are not only plugged into the gay community, but you are also plugged into the democrat party. did you have any inkling that this was going to happen today? >> i think the news today was a

surprise for pretty much everyone, but, you know, over the past months and years we have been having conversations with the administration and the president ourselves. we have been telling stories about the loving couples who are taking care of one another, raising families and being denied a critical safety net of rights and protections that marriage would bring to them. this is president obama thinking about this on a personal level and thankfully coming out in a huge way on the side of the freedom to marry. >> buzzfeed reported in the first 90 minutes after the news broke today, the campaign received a million dollars in spontaneous contributions. i'm wondering if you think they expected that and do you know whether that fund-raising blitz is going to continue? there is a huge opportunity here, isn't there? >> i certainly don't think the

president chose to come out in support of gay marriage because of fund-raising. i believe this is his personal decision. but, yes we are in the middle of an election season. i think the gay and lesbian community has been a really important base of support for the president so far, but i think some people had been a little bit hesitant. so i think with today's interview and announcement that hesitation is gone, and i think we're going to see a real boost in support on a lot of levels on contributions and volunteers and people showing up at the polls, which is the most important thing for him in november. >> yeah, i think it will have a significant impact on mobilization. i want to talk about swing states for a moment because you are from ohio. how do you think this will play in ohio? >> you know, if you look at the polls on this every single month and every single year more and

more americans are coming out on the side in support of marriage equality. and i think if you look at really a few key constituencies particularly with independents you just had the numbers up that 57% of independents support the freedom to marry, and i think that's a really important number for the president. i think those are the folks that are going to matter most in november. and i think this is going to really help garner more excitement around his campaign and ultimately help him. and then of course there is young people who overwhelmingly support the freedom to marry, and who prioritize the issue, and i think they will show up and be involved in a bigger way because of this. >> i think what the president did today is really -- gave permission for everybody running for office to come forward and support gay marriage and going forward i don't know how anybody running for president won't support gay marriage, so it's so

enormous. looking forward to the next election do you think governor andrew cuomo from new york do you think that will help his presidential aspirations in 2016? >> i think you are right to say having the president come out and support the freedom to marry really makes it a main stream proposition. with governor cuomo in particular, being a new yorker and having been part of that historic campaign i guess almost a year ago, folks like governor cuomo have been leading the charge making historic progress, and i think folks like him have really helped the president to where he is. because we now have six states with the freedom to marry, and new york is in no small part due to governor cuomo. and even though it terrific we have presidential candidates

support this issue, that means we have a lot more places left to go. and still at the federal level, because of doma even same-sex marriage are being denied. >> a lot of work to do thank you, sean for joining us inside "the war room" and fighting the battle. >> that's sean eldridge, senior advisor for "freedom to marry." and coming up, follow the money, if gay marriage was a fund-raising tool before today, just guess how it is going to be used now. that's next, and it't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't't' >>(narrator) gavin newsom, lieutenant governor of california, and former mayor of san francisco is coming to current tv. >>every night on cable news networks everyone's focusing on what's wrong. i want this show to move past that. i love creative people, and with all the vexing problems we have we

need creative thinking. >>(narrator) with interviews with notables from silicon valley, hollywood, and beyond. >>at the end of the day this show's simple. it's about ideas. ideas are the best politics. ideas can bring us together. >>(narrator) the gavin newsom show. coming to current tv.

just moments after president obama's dramatic announcement in support of same-sex marriage the democratic congressional campaign committee urged to support president obama's courageous move with their actions and their wallets. republicans and democrats will use this issue to raise money. and shaker, the founder of the bay area democrats who has raised millions of dollars for president obama, as a member of his national finance committee. thank you for joining us again inside "the war room." who do you think is going to benefit -- which side do you think is going to benefit more financially from this the left or right? >> i don't know how much the right will benefit from it. but i think this will help the president remind people how historic his election was.

because whenever you do something that is so profoundly important for the country is it reminds people where we were in 2008 and how important the next one was, and these things like getting out of the iraq war are very important. and they are very distant. issues like this are right next door to you. >> does the fund-raising strategy actually change as a result of an announcement like this? >> i don't think so. and i think one thing the lbgt committee has been very supportive of the president. the gay community was saying hey, we're starting and they were there then the day after he announced and all the way through. i think also for the broader community who are progressive activists or supportive of it

people like me, it's easy to lean into it and take all of these certain excuses of everything wasn't perfect every single day of the administration, because it focuses on the big things. >> knowing that this will also generate the -- this will make it more difficult for the president to get elected, knowing that it's a form of motivation. if you heard j.d. hayworth on earlier today, the republicans are going to use this. it is going to make it harder but just that fact alone should motivate some. >> yes, and the convention in north carolina on the heels of the north carolina vote which was a setback for the gay community, and right after that the president comes in and says despite a key swing state and the place i'm going to go and have my convention to be renominated for president, i'm still willing to come out and

make this historic announcement that makes it easier for everybody to remember why they did this in the first place. >> there has been discussion of lack of support for the president from wall street. do you think this will enable the gay community to fill in that gap? >> actually the gay community in new york has been terrific. if you look at our finance numbers, we have been really well in the tri-state area but a lot of that money is different money. now you have the opportunity for those folks who were with us to go back to their gay friends and say, hey, let's double down on the president. >> hollywood of course is interested in this as well and george clooney is having a fund raiser tomorrow night. $12 million, is that what was raised? >> i think it may wind up being more than that but yes. >> it is sold out? >> absolutely.

>> i can't go -- >> well, you are different. >> $40,000 checks dying to get in the check was turned away. sold out. >> time to re-up, don't you think? >> given that he has only done one ever he had to do twice as many as he has ever done so that's up to him. >> who brings in the big money? the hollywood donors or the small individual donors? >> actually i think it is evenly split. people who have that 25 50 hundred dollars that they gave last time. and you wait until you feel the time to log in and put your credit card in. and that would be on environmental issues the war on women, or this issue, people think it's the online masses that's not true they are individual people who make an individual decision to re-up, but this reminds you why they

did it in the first place. and those handful of people who carped and said he is not absolutely perfect, it's much easier for people like me to say, how much more could one reasonably expect of this guy. >> you are such a good salesman. thank you for everything you are doing. wade randlett, is as i say a mover and shaker and an awful great fund raiser as well. coming up what is going on in the romney "war room" right now. we want to look at that. we'll take a look at how today's news will affect

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>> marriage itself is a relationship between a man and a woman, and that's my own preference. >> that's mitt romney responding to president obama's announcement. today he is far different than the mitt romney of 1994. romney wrote a letter to the log cabin republicans saying: here to discuss the devolution of romney's position on gays rights is is glen johnson, political reporter with "the boston globe," and he is joining us tonight from boston of course, and here on "the war room" set again is christine pelosi, chair of the california democratic party's women caucus. she spearheaded efforts to put marriage equality on the party's platform. thank you both for joining us. let me start right away with glen, you have covered mitt

romney for years. when did he start to speak out against equal rights for gays and lesbians? >> well, he has always been opposed to gay marriage but he has also changed his emphasis on gay rights through the years. when he ran against ted kennedy in 1994 he promised to be somebody who would be more sympathetic to gay rights issues than ted kennedy himself. over time, though especially after the massachusetts supreme court he became very actively opposing it and used that to bonefy his unity to the conservative movement. did he play a role in

massachusetts's legalization of gay marriage when he was governor? >> he became governor and almost immediately had this dumped in his lap. and what he was trying to do was respond to it and initially said he was going to comply with the ruling even though he was opposed to gay marriage but started to find ways to ban it through constitutional amendment and ban it through a 1913 state law which banned gay marriage in massachusetts. and, you know, that was where the line that he uses now on the campaign trail. they didn't want massachusetts to turn into the same -- the las vegas of same-sex marriage. and that was what he tried to do at that time. >> interesting. so let's flip it back to the democratic side christine. first of all let me get your reaction to the president's announcement today? >> absolutely exciting. it was a really wonderful

moment. i was with my husband and young daughter and we were watching and it was just very very exciting and i was thinking about all of the same-sex couples probably all doing the same thing. we're thinking isn't this amazing that the president is affirming these basic civil rights for people and not just for the couples who get married, but the teenagers who get bullied because they are gay, to have the president say the strongest of relationships is worthy of respect. >> obviously you are embedded here in the democratic party, what do you think this is going to do for progressives in terms of the ability to mobilize. >> it is a tremendous step. it was a step to get to this. i think as we do this victory

lap, we remember we still have some convincing and work to do so our activist will be busy supporting president obama and taking his message one on one peer-to-peer to try to drive up that vote. >> let me flip it back to mitt romney, and glen what do you think the chances are in light of the primary in this etch-a-sketch moment that mitt romney will move to the center again on this issue of marriage equality? >> well, i don't think there's any chance that he is going to change his position on this. he is right now trying to consolidate the conservative base to his own party, and trying to fen off the label of being a flip flopper, and to now say he supports gay marriage i think is highly unlikely. for the president's case this evolution as he terms it flip

flop the way the romney people term it will hurt him. >> all right. that's an interesting point. stick around and we'll come back with some final [ male announcer ] this is corporate caterers miami, florida. in here, great food demands a great presentation. so at&t showed corporate caterers how to better collaborate by using a mobile solution in a whole new way. using real-time photo sharing abilities, they can create and maintain high standards from kitchen to table. this technology allows us to collaborate with our drivers to make a better experience for our customers. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ ♪

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we're back inside "the war room" with tonight's political round table, joining me again is with "the boston globe," and christine pelosi, chair of the california democratic party's women caucus. christine and i were talking during the break, and she was reminding me that mitt romney has flip flopped on a couple of issues, one is civil unions and one is adoptions. glen is that your experience as well. >> i had to go back and check the specific positions. i know the gay marriage position has been pretty consistent but as i said earlier his emphasis on gay rights was pretty prolific and has become much more tame in 2008 and 2012. >> is that something that the democrat party will use? >> i think absolutely. it's very important we support the right of adoption, and we're talking about an issue that as of 2006 romney is on the record supporting the right of gays to adopt. that was one of the curiosities

in massachusetts, because they said wait a second they already have the kids and social science say kids are better off in a household with two parents, so why wouldn't you allow this person to formalize their relationship with their loved one. >> all right. last question because we have to run on this quickly. do you both think that gay marriage will be a key issue through november? >> frankly i don't think it will be. i think that neither candidate really wants to talk about it extensively. it excites the democratic base for the president, but mitt romney doesn't want to get -- you know get into this kind of social battle with the president. so i think both of them for different reasons may not want to talk about it. it depends on whether or not some other domestic issue props up. >> this afternoon mitt romney

was asked about this and said no we don't want to talk about those social issues we want to talk about the economy. >> they didn't allow him to have a gay staffer, do you think honestly they are going to let romney pick somebody to his left on any social issue? no way. that's why who he picks will be very important -- >> will the republicans be pushing this all the way to the election to their benefit. >> absolutely. sunday after sunday after sunday. >> i agree with you. very important point. you get what she is saying. christine pelosi and glen johnson, thank you both for being inside "the war room." and to you all thank you for joining us here in "the war room." we will see you all back tomorrow night after this historic day in the united states of america. thanks everyone. ♪